New York police cite bars for underage drinking

Law enforcement agencies are beginning to crackdown on underage drinking and those who provide minors alcohol. For instance, bars, convenience and grocery stores are currently being targeted for allowing teens to purchase alcohol.

For instance, police in Binghamton, New York have recently taken action against local bars who are allowing minors to purchase alcohol at their establishment, news station WBNG reports.

Local police told the news source that there has been an uptick in the number of arrests and citations given to downtown bars for underage drinking in the last few weeks.

For instance, The Scoreboard, which is a local bar, was cited for allowing three minors to consume alcohol. Law enforcement officials added that they believe there were many more than those who were caught. They noted that the bar could lose its liquor license beyond the fines it has accrued.

Another incident occurred in the Rathskeller Bar where police handed out two citations after the owner told the patrons there was a fire in order to get the minors out of the establishment.

Research shows that consuming alcohol at an early age may lead many teens toward developing alcoholism in their adult life, which could require rehab programs to treat.

According to the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 42 percent of high school students said they consumed alcohol in the 30 days leading up to the study.